I’ve blogged about grocery shopping and/or my grocery store a few times. Usually, it’s to complain. My complaints are not unfounded — it’s true that our store changes things (products, aisles, sections, everything) around far too often, and that the baggers continue to put things like raw meat in bags with things like fresh produce.

But, in the interest of fairness and niceness, I figured it was about time I blogged about a few things I actually appreciate about the grocery store I frequent.

1. Self-checkout

I am a big huge fan of the self-checkout lanes. In part, because I have the freedom to make sure the raw meat gets bagged separately, as is right and proper. But also because if I don’t have an overflowing cart, it’s usually faster for me to use a self-checkout register, where there is usually no line. Even scanning and bagging the groceries myself, I can get out of the store much more quickly than if I were standing in line at one of the full-service registers.

Admittedly, my progress can be held up by a certain 4-year-old who loves to “help” me scan the groceries (which usually results in an electronic voice scolding us to “Place item on belt” — L. just isn’t fast enough getting the scanned items to the conveyor). I’ve also run into trouble the one two three multiple times I have caused the machine to freeze up. I think I’m just too fast for the cash register sometimes and it gets overloaded, in which case I need to go pay at a different terminal.

But other than that, self-checkout is most awesome. So thank you, grocery store, for providing five or so self-checkout lanes for my convenience.

2. Free food samples

Now that summer is here, I more often than not have a kid or two along with me when I do my grocery shopping. My boys are pretty good shoppers, but still — is grocery shopping anybody’s favorite activity? Especially 11- and 4-year-old boys? I think not. So I find it incredibly nice of our grocery store to offer free samples during busy weekdays. The sample tables are scattered throughout the store, and there are often four or even five on any given day.  Just last week, C. (11) enjoyed part of a hot dog, some barbecue ribs, and some blue corn tortilla chips during our shopping trip. And only a few days ago, a nice lady gave L. (4) two yummy cookies, which got me through at least the next three aisles.

Yes, I realize that these samples are intended to persuade me to purchase additional food. But I’m a pretty staunch list-shopper. I make my list, I shop from it, and I go home. However, if they give us yummy food and a substantial coupon, I might be persuadable.

Either way, giving my kids free food samples while we shop is definitely cool. If I’m lucky, I can even get out of making lunch when we get home, because they’ve munched their way through the store.

3. Tall people

I am not tall. I like to say I’m 5’3″, but I might actually be closer to 5’2″. Which means that while I can reach the top shelf at the grocery store, I can not reach the top-shelf items if the front row or two have been taken and the remaining items are at least halfway back on that uppermost shelf. (Yes, Black Beans and Grape Nuts, I’m talking to you.)

As it turns out, when I find myself in the “I’m too short to reach the food I need” dilemma, there is often a tall person in the aisle with me. A kind tall person, no less. And even though I tend to be quiet and shy, when it comes to obtaining the ingredients for this week’s Lime Chicken Tacos, I will speak up and ask for help. I’ve never had a tall person refuse my request, glare at me, or harumph about handing some canned goods to me.

For that I am grateful.

Okay, technically, I know that my grocery store does not intentionally provide tall shoppers to help short people like me. But clearly, they researched the area’s demographics and situated their store in such a way that there will nearly always be some helpful tall people around. Right?

Well, either way, tall, helpful people are very much appreciated by short, beans-buying customers such as myself.

*****

What about you? What is one thing your grocery store does right?

We still don’t know if it was really H1N1 that invaded our house last week, but I suppose it doesn’t really matter. We’re mostly recovered (though C had to start antibiotics this weekend because of a suspected secondary infection), but the memory of several miserable days is still strong.

And so, because I’m so nice, I’ve compiled a list of the things I did some things YOU can do, just in case you find yourself dealing with a H1N1 or a similar illness. Enjoy!

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Google every combination of the words “swine flu,” h1n1, symptoms, duration, treatment, mild, peak, immunity etc. that you can come up with. Result: you’ll learn that no one knows what they’re talking about. Every description of swine flu is different, and most doctors aren’t even really testing for it anymore. So…good luck. Just get rest and drink fluids.

Play mindless computer games until you can’t see straight. Farm Town and Bejeweled Blitz (both on Facebook) fit the bill well.

Think about how you’re never leaving your house again because of all the stupid germs out there and the insensitive sick people who are clearly not washing their hands enough. Or properly covering their mouths when they cough.

Be glad that at least now you don’t need the vaccine. At least you think you don’t. If the doctor guessed correctly. Which may or may not be the case.

Watch mindless TV. For starters, you can try Top Chef, The Dog Whisperer, and random Food Network shows.

Wonder whether Cesar Milan, Tom Colicchio, or Paula Deen have had the swine flu.

Test out Dog Whisperer techniques on your cat. Realize she’s too dumb to get it.

Attempt a Sudoku puzzle. Admit your brain is too foggy to successfully count to nine more than twice. Scribble out the whole puzzle and give up.

Visit the CDC’s flu page and try to predict whether this wave of the flu has peaked or if it will keep climbing.

If you have an iPhone or iPod touch: visit the App store and treat yourself to a 99 cent app about stargazing, or download the Starbucks app to use when you’re finally feeling better.

Enjoy the extra cuddles with your normally-squirmy 3-year-old.

Wonder if that slight wheeze you just heard come out of your mouth means you’re developing pneumonia. Google combinations of the words swine, h1n1, pneumonia, secondary infection, and symptoms. Decide you should be okay for now.

Clorox everything. Repeatedly. So your husband doesn’t get sick. But secretly resent him just a little bit because it’s not fair that you’re sick and he’s not.

Wake up one morning and realize you’re feeling much better. But not quite well enough to clean the house yet. Curl up with a good book and don’t tell anyone you’re better just yet. Enjoy the book and the quiet time.

I’ve been a pretty good girl lately — counting my calories, trying to move more.

During June and early July, well, I was not so good (I call that time in my life, “The Tremendously Stressful Time of Potty-Training” and I treated the stress with some extra chocolate, cheese, and random carbohydrates), but for the last month+, I’ve actually been exercising a bit of self-control, resulting in some slow-but-steady improvements on the scale.

So needless to say, I was caught off guard when I surfed over to Amazon.com today, only to find that they’re featuring a section on “High-Calorie Cuisine” books. Some of the offerings?

It seems that I only pop onto the blog these days to do a book review or giveaway. Sorry about that. I’ve got some post ideas brewing, but I can’t make any guarantees as to when they’ll show up as actual posts. In the meantime, some random and disjointed thoughts and comments for you:

1. I loved hearing/reading how many of you are doing so far in Spring Reading Thing ’09! It seems like we have a mix — some people are right on target or ahead of the game, others are struggling to get through their books. My only request is that you keep reading (when you can, of course) and don’t beat yourself up! Enjoy your books and have fun during this little challenge.

2. Speaking of Spring Reading Thing ‘o9, we have some serious book reviewers involved. Have you looked at the book review list lately? We’re only one month into this thing and there are already 180 reviews posted there!

3. In a somewhat drastic and unexpected move, I have deleted my kids’ names from the blog. I know, I know, you’ve grown to know and love them by name. It’ll be weird. I agree — it’ll be weird to write about them without using their names. But after a little research, a few conversations, and much thought, I decided to take their names off for now. At some point, I may reinstate them. But for now, they will simply be C. and L.

Nothing horrible happened. The decision was made in part for safety, but in larger part, for privacy. They might decide one day that they’re not crazy about having stories about them (complete with their names) out on the internet for all to see. C. already cringes sometimes when I ask, “Can I blog about that?” And while it’s one thing to tell family and friends a cute or funny or slightly embarrassing story, it’s another thing to tell the world on a public blog. So no names, and maybe some changes as far as how/when I blog about them.

4. On a related note, we were discussing this change at home one night, and C. felt strongly that he did not want to just be an initial. He thought we should substitute some fake names. I considered that, but had to veto his first pick. He wanted to be Vladamir. Now, there’s nothing wrong with the name Vladamir, but blogging about “my son, Vladamir” would be even weirder than blogging about “my son, C.”

In the end, Chad vetoed fake names anyway. We might try to come up with some “non-name” names — you know, like “ComputerKid” or something, but I’m not feeling very inspired at the moment. I promise to not confuse you too much by changing names on any kind of regular basis, though.

5. As I type this post, I’m trying really hard not to eat the Hershey’s Special Dark Eggs, left over from Easter. It is not easy. Not easy at all. They call to me from their drawer.

6. 5 Minutes for Books is having a wonderful Mother’s Day giveaway, with lots and lots of books being given away (and you know I’m a fan of free books). I’ve had the button in my sidebar for a while, but in case you didn’t notice it, I wanted to let you know so you can go check it out. Just click HERE.

7. Finally, a few good posts I thought I’d share with you:

Stuff Christians Like:  #527. Thinking God Needs You. “We don’t serve a needy God. We serve a complete God.”

Rocks in My Dryer: No, Really, I’m Fine “I’m coming more and more to the conclusion that we (I) seem to be operating in a fog of sensory overload.   We blog and Twitter and Facebook.  We have cell phones and multiple e-mail addresses.  We’re so darn plugged in we’re almost motorized, and it’s exhausting.”

Reading to Know: The Covenant of Marriage “We can’t keep walking away from “hard” conversations just because they seem hard. We’ll never be able to celebrate the beauty of a TRULY successful marriage/friendship unless we are willing to work through the hard times.”

1 Do we, as a nation, really need such a vast variety of toilet-cleaning options? In Target this morning, I noticed that there were at least 30 options to choose from when it comes to prettifying the potties in my house. Various gels and liquids to squirt, a variety of scrubbers (disposable and non-disposable; flushable and non-flushable), and several specialty products, just in case you want to go beyond the traditional tools.  Overkill, I say.

2 Did you notice that the long-proclaimed switch from analog to digital television signals has been postponed from this month until June? My question: WHY?

First of all, we’ve been seeing commercials for just about forever, announcing this impending change and telling everyone to get your converter boxes NOW, so you don’t miss a single minute of programming!!! If people weren’t watching TV often enough to see those commercials, then I would guess they won’t really miss television all that much if they don’t get their converter boxes in time.

And second of all, why are our congressmen and President so very concerned that an estimated 6 million people weren’t prepared for the change? Did I miss the part where watching TV has become a constitutional right? I really think the government has better ways they could spend their time and concern. And if they don’t, they should probably just go home. And hook up their converter boxes. [mini-rant over]

3 Does it mean I’m getting old if I tell my two-year-old, “You just play, honey. Mommy’s going to lie down and rest her eyes.”? I’m thinking, Yes.

4 Am I the only one longing for spring to arrive? We’ve had a couple warm days, and while it’s been a welcome respite from the ice and the freezing and the snow and the bitterness and the boots and the shovels… it’s just making me wish for April to arrive…now. But I know full well that Wearisome Winter will be back for a good month-and-a-half before that happens.

5 Will I survive the gigantic 4th-grade special project that C. is currently tackling?  He’s doing the work (well, except for the parts where the directions clearly state, “This part should be handled by a parent”) but I’m attempting to keep him on schedule and that just might do me in before the project’s due date in March.

6 What questions are on your mind today?